About Us
Eck-Schoe Productions and Publications began as a way for Kenneth Eckstein-Schoemann to create and share his art. At the same time, Peter, David, and Ava were writing what would become the Project RM series. We published those sci-fi works under the Eck-Schoe name, believing we were simply building a home for our family’s creativity.
But along the way, something larger became clear: the work was never meant to be just by us. It was about making space for creativity, especially for those whose voices are too often overlooked.
Eck-Schoe grew into the organization it is today with a simple, guiding mission: to promote the creativity of neurodivergent people through writing, film, and art.
Co-authors of our books include autistic writers and our Love. Outside the Box stories include autistic lead characters. Through film, we commit to authentic casting and inclusive production, welcoming neurodivergent creators both in front of and behind the camera. Through art, our featured artist Kenneth Eckstein-Schoemann explores liminalism, which reflects the in-between, depicting abandoned, nostalgic, and other locations to communicate how he perceives the world differently.
As our Love. Outside the Box, Books, Film, and Art pages show, this work continues to grow. We are busy, but more importantly, we are grateful. We believe in stories that create understanding, in art that honors individuality, and in a creative community where every voice matters.
We invite you to join us on the journey.
Join the Conversation
- Join @eckschoeproductions for the conversation on promoting inclusivity and the process behind what we make.
- Join @love.outsidethebox for the conversation on the stories.
- Participate in the journey at Your Support Path, where you can obtain free bonus materials, additional insight, early first chapters, and support the mission.
- To support a project, go to Fundraisers to check out whether we are raising funds for that project. If we aren’t and you would like to support a project we are producing, please send us an email and let us know.
Our Team
Ava Eckstein-Schoemann, President
Ava Eckstein-Schoemann is the President of Eck-Schoe Productions and Publications. She is currently a junior at the University of Florida, studying finance, while actively working as a writer and filmmaker.
Ava is a co-writer of Storm Fighters and has authored five short stories for the Project RM: Genesis series. Her flash fiction piece, Autism Aside, received a Florida Youth Writers Royal Palm Award, and her one-act play, Dreams of April, earned a Superior rating at the Florida Thespian Competition.
For twelve years, Ava helped run Breaking Barriers Martial Arts, a taekwondo program dedicated to teaching martial arts to individuals with disabilities, an experience that greatly influenced her commitment to inclusive creative spaces.
In addition to her leadership role at Eck-Schoe, Ava writes, produces, and directs films. She made her directorial debut with the short film Happy Haley Daze, the third story in the Love. Outside the Box series. Happy Haley Daze is currently in submission to multiple film festivals. She is directing two additional short films between March 2026 and June 2026.
David Eckstein-Schoemann, Vice President
David Eckstein-Schoemann is a Vice President of Eck-Schoe Productions and Publications. He holds a B.A. in English with a minor in Creative Writing from the University of North Florida and brings a strong background in writing and media to Eck-Schoe.
After several years working for The Walt Disney World Company (including in the Disney College Program), David accepted a social media position with UCF CARD (the Center for Autism & Related Disabilities) and PALS (Providing Autism Links and Support), where he supports outreach and communication efforts focused on the autism community.
David is a co-writer of Storm Fighters, the final novel in the Project RM series, and has co-authored six installments of Project RM: Genesis. He also served as a staff writer for Spinnaker, the University of North Florida’s news outlet, where he published hundreds of articles covering entertainment topics including film, anime, and theme parks.
In July 2024, David and Ava co-founded @sensethemagic, an Instagram account dedicated to making theme park experiences more accessible for people with sensory sensitivities. Through David’s leadership and content strategy, the platform has grown significantly since July 2025.
Furthering access to events for people with sensory sensitivities, David recently spoke at an event for Kulture City (an organization assisting people with sensory sensitivities at NFL, MLB, NHL, and soccer events around the world, as well as other locations) and continues to offer assistance to this important organization.
In addition to his work at Eck-Schoe, David is a co-author of the Love. Outside the Box novels and wrote the screenplay for the short film Rewind, which is currently in pre-production.
Kenneth Eckstein-Schoemann, Vice President
Kenneth Eckstein-Schoemann is a Vice President of Eck-Schoe Productions and Publications and an artist whose paintings include a series on liminalism, which reflects the in-between, depicting abandoned, nostalgic, and other locations to communicate how he perceives the world differently.
He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a concentration in painting and printmaking, from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida.
Kenneth’s practice focuses primarily on oil paintings on canvas that examine the boundary between reality and dream, capturing thought-like, in-between spaces shaped by personal experience and inner perception.
His recent body of work, Liminal Spaces, documents nostalgic Americana locations overlaid with projected animations. These animated elements interact with the physical paintings to evoke dream states and reflect his internal experiences and emotional landscapes.
Selections of Kenneth’s work have been exhibited at the Lake County Museum of Art, the Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville, Florida, and the University of North Florida’s Carpenter Library. His work will also be exhibited at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.
In addition to exhibitions, his artwork is held in multiple private collections.
Kenneth’s visual art and animation also inform Eck-Schoe’s film projects, contributing a distinct visual language rooted in liminalism and inclusive storytelling.
Christine Eckstein, Vice President
Christine Eckstein is a Vice President of Eck-Schoe Productions and Publications and a co-author of the Love. Outside the Box novels. She brings a background in law, advocacy, and lived experience to the organization’s mission of inclusive storytelling.
Christine earned her B.S. in Political Science and her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida. After beginning her legal career, she stepped away from the practice of law following the autism diagnoses of her two sons, choosing instead to focus on securing the best possible opportunities, therapies, and supports for her family.
Her advocacy include ensuring that her sons’ and others’ IEPs and implementation of their IEPs are reasonable, coordinating speech and occupational therapy services, exploring emerging resources, and engaging directly with leading voices in autism research and understanding.
Her experiences as a parent and advocate have significantly influenced Eck-Schoe’s creative work, including the development of characters and perspectives in the Love. Outside the Box series. In particular, material elements of A Better Tomorrow draw inspiration from Christine’s experiences and those of other parents raising children on the autism spectrum.
Christine has served on the Florida Governor’s Commission on Disabilities and, together with her family, co-founded and ran Breaking Barriers Martial Arts, a taekwondo program designed for individuals with disabilities, for twelve years. That work deepened her appreciation for the diversity, resilience, and creativity within the disability community, values that continue to guide her contributions to Eck-Schoe today.
Peter (“Pete”) Schoemann, Vice President
Peter (“Pete”) Schoemann is a Vice President of Eck-Schoe Productions and Publications and a writer whose work is rooted in inclusive storytelling and advocacy. He brings a background in law, accounting, and disability rights to the organization’s leadership.
Pete earned his B.S. and M.Acc. in Accounting, as well as his Juris Doctor and LL.M. in Tax, from the University of Florida. After the autism diagnoses of his sons, Pete and his wife Christine worked together to ensure their family had access to meaningful supports, opportunities, and resources, an experience that continues to shape his professional and creative priorities.
Pete has served as Chair of the Board of Disability Rights Florida and as a board member of the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida. He currently serves as a board member of PALS (Providing Autism Links and Support). Alongside his family, he also helped found and run Breaking Barriers Martial Arts, a taekwondo program designed for individuals with disabilities, for twelve years. These experiences deepened his understanding of disability, accessibility, and community-based support.
As a writer, Pete co-authored the Project RM science fiction series with David and Ava before turning to romantic comedy, a genre he has long enjoyed. That shift led to the creation of the Love. Outside the Box series, which features stories in which a lead character is autistic or closely connected to someone on the autism spectrum.
Each book is developed in collaboration with a co-writer or key consultant who is autistic and whose lived experience aligns with the character being portrayed, ensuring authenticity and care in representation.